Secure and well sealed inter-engagement of the combustor and the high pressure, turbine (HPT) stage immediately downstream therefrom is vital in a gas turbine engine. This portion of the engine experiences the highest temperatures, and therefore the joint formed between the combustor and the HPT vane assembly must be able to accommodate thermal deflections of the two structures due to the high temperatures. Thermal growth mismatch between the combustor walls and the platforms of the HPT vane may occur for a variety of reasons, such as a result of differences in materials, structure, surface temperatures and gas flow patterns for example. Accordingly, the joints linking these two structures must be able to accommodate these deflections, without reducing sealing effectiveness. A tight seal therebetween is required to prevent high pressure air, typically fed to the regions around the combustor, from leaking into the lower pressure gas path flowing through the turbine section.
Known joints between the combustor walls and the downstream HPT vane platforms, and especially the radially outer joints between the outer combustor wall and the outer HPT vane platform, are often excessively complex, typically having a plurality of parts and employing permanent fastening means such as rivets or bolts.